Posts Tagged ‘oil’

We’ve been schooled to believe that if we have oily or acne-prone skin, everything we buy needs to be “oil-free” or it will break us out. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Period! Ceansing oils are actually non-comedogenic and won’t clog pores.

Here’s the deal: A lot of oil-free cleansers out there strip our skin of natural oils, leaving it unbalanced and causing it to create more oil to rebalance it. Excess oil production equals more problematic skin. So I dare you to go against conventional wisdom and try the oil cleansing method. If you have oily skin, wash it with a cleansing oil. If you have dry skin, wash it with a cleansing oil. If you have normal skin, wash it with a cleansing oil. Get it? It’s the answer a lot of you have been looking for. It calms your skin down. Tells it everything is going to be ok. Keeps its natural pH balance without disturbing its natural moisture barrier. Prevents it from having to go into oil production overload. Essential oils in the cleansing oils are naturally antibacterial. It’s a win-win situation. Try it for a month and let us know if it works for you too. Here’s how:

This is, hands-down, the easiest and fastest way to take off waterproof liner, liquid liner, longwear shadows and the most stubborn makeup that you can dare to wear! Not to mention, it’s 100% natural, vegan and raw! And a jar lasts a really long time. And you can use it as a hair mask or as a body oil too… Clearly, I can go on and on! My model Skye actually taught me this particular trick last week so I’m new to it but an instant convert because of how easily it literally glides right off. Here’s how:

Facial Cloth — I used BSL Makeup Cloths because they are anti-bacterial and really absorb the makeup and prevent it from spreading all over the face. I also really love Eve Lom Muslin Cloths. For our readers that are eco-conscious, reusing facial cloths is another way to eliminate waste (just throw them in the wash and dry flat).

STEPS:

Sanitize your fingers with anti-bacterial soap or Purell. Dip two fingers in the coconut oil and scoop out a nickel-sized amount of the coconut oil. It will start to melt pretty quickly with the body temperature of your fingers so don’t dilly dally! Rub those two fingers with the identical two fingers on your other hand.

Look in the mirror to make a mental photograph then close your eyes and gently rub each eye with the corresponding fingers. You can certainly do one eye at a time, I just get so tired at night that I like to speed up the process!

Continue gently rubbing the oil over the makeup on both the top and bottom lids. You’ll feel the makeup melt away under your fingers.

Pick up the facial cloth and wipe everything off on the bottom lid.

Repeat on the top lid as well. And if you’ve filled in your brow, one sweep will take it off too!

Aren’t you tired of battling dryness every single winter? Then spending Spring trying to undo it? It’s not your fault; between having the heat on at home, in the car, space heaters under our desks… our skin doesn’t stand a chance. Until now! I learned this trick from a yoga instructor in New Mexico over the holidays; you know, one of those women who looks twenty years younger than her age. I was so embarrassed when she walked over to check my form and my legs were so scaly no matter how much lotion I piled on. I had to say something and she nonchalantly told me to always apply body oil before showering instead of after. At first it sounded bizarre but she was totally right! One of the most drying things that we do to ourselves is taking a hot shower. The outer layer of our skin (the epidermis) is made up of keratin and oil to protect the keratin. The hot water temperature softens the oil layer until it melts and washes away. Yes, switching to a moisturizing body wash is a definite must. But in the winter we tend to take not only hotter showers but longer ones too and a moisturizing body wash isn’t enough to keep your skin from getting dry. I’m sure you’re already using a moisturizing body wash but still noticing how much drier your skin is in the winter time. So try this technique like our model Alyssa above and let us know if it works for you too! (more…)

There’s nothing worse than doing an acne treatment regime only to undo it with the wrong makeup. Through the years, I’ve learned to be very sensitive with my clients’ skin. I used to think “oh I just do their makeup on the red carpet a couple times a month, it can’t do any damage!” but then I remembered that these lovely girls get their makeup done at 5am five times a week for their TV shows and their skin is going through the ringer and I should be more cautious! So these have become our favorites to keep their skin clear and gorgeous. Some of these products made it into my kit through trial and error while others were demanded by my clients who know that they work and won’t take any chances! Hope they help you too. Please share your favorites in the comments below as well! (more…)